potential

English translation: a measure or scale [pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen]

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:potential
Selected answer:a measure or scale [pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen]
Entered by: acetran

15:54 Jul 13, 2016
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Medical - Medical (general) / asthma
English term or phrase: potential
Các bác cho em hỏi potential trong context này là điện thế hay mang nghĩa khác?

Context
The scale is pH 1 to pH 14, which converts to a range of 10-1 (1) to 10-14 (.00000000000001) moles of hydrogen ions.
This means that a pH of 14 maintains fewer hydrogen ions.
It is thus less acidic and more alkaline (or basic).

The pH scale has been set up around the fact that water’s pH is log-7 or simply pH 7 due to water’s natural mineral content.

A substance having greater hydrogen ion potential (but lower pH) than water will be considered acidic, while a substance with less H+ potential (higher pH) than water is considered a base (alkaline).
Nam Vo
Vietnam
Local time: 04:31
a measure or scale [pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen]
Explanation:
pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen

pH is the abbreviation for potential hydrogen, a scale representing the relative acidity (or alkalinity) of a solution, in which a value of 7.0 is neutral, below 7.0 is acid, and above 7.0 is alkaline.

pH: potential of hydrogen; a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution equal to the common logarithm of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions in moles per cubic decimetre of solution. Pure water has a pH of 7, acid solutions have a pH less than 7, and alkaline solutions a pH greater than 7


http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Potential of...

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Potential of hydrogen
Selected response from:

acetran
Grading comment
Thanks, acetran!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +3a measure or scale [pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen]
acetran
3 -1(ionic) activity
Jörgen Slet


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
a measure or scale [pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen]


Explanation:
pH = Hydrogen ion potential / H+ potential / potential Hydrogen

pH is the abbreviation for potential hydrogen, a scale representing the relative acidity (or alkalinity) of a solution, in which a value of 7.0 is neutral, below 7.0 is acid, and above 7.0 is alkaline.

pH: potential of hydrogen; a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution equal to the common logarithm of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions in moles per cubic decimetre of solution. Pure water has a pH of 7, acid solutions have a pH less than 7, and alkaline solutions a pH greater than 7


http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Potential of...

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Potential of hydrogen


acetran
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27
Grading comment
Thanks, acetran!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
24 mins
  -> Thanks!

agree  Cilian O'Tuama: pH, power (potential) of hydrogen, i.e. the negative log to the base 10 of the hydrogen ion concentration - the defn I remember from school
31 mins
  -> Thanks!

neutral  Jörgen Slet: Since the text suggests that higher "hydrogen ion potential" means lower pH, it cannot be the "p" in pH. | Re: "linguistic logic" - kind of what I was trying to say. Thinking that "p" in "pH" is "potential" is linguistic logic.
3 hrs
  -> Can't use a linguistic logic in Science (Chemistry). Does not work that way.

agree  Tushar Deep
11 hrs
  -> Thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
(ionic) activity


Explanation:
I think they actually mean hydrogen ion "activity" or "effective/apparent concentration" (actual concentration minus interactions that diminish the effective concentration).

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Note added at 3 hrs (2016-07-13 19:29:20 GMT)
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Since the text suggests that higher "potential" means lower pH, it cannot be the "p" in pH (the etymology of "p" in pH is unclear, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH#History)

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Note added at 12 hrs (2016-07-14 04:39:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The text seems to simply misuse the word "potential" for concentration, or ionic activity:

1) The text is simplistic, intended for general audience. It is unlikely to discuss chemical potential of hydrogen ion, or any other "potentials".

2) It already somewhat misuses "substances" - the text only applies to aqueous solutions. Acidity in non-aqueous solutions, other liquids, superacids, gases, solids etc is more complicated.

3) "due to water’s natural mineral content" also seems to be an error.

They likely meant simple concentration of H+. Or ionic activity, which is effective concentration.
They probably got confused by the letter "p" in "pH", like many do.


    Reference: http://www.aqion.de/site/69
    Reference: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:funnel....
Jörgen Slet
Estonia
Local time: 23:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EstonianEstonian
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Cilian O'Tuama: The higher the H+ concentration, the lower the pH and the more acidic the substance is...
3 hrs
  -> Yes, and the text appears to call this H+ concentration "H+ potential". (Since it uses conventional pH, 1-14, I assume aqueous solutions, and H+ concentration or activity as usual measure of acidity. Not, e.g., the absolute chemical potential of H+).
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